Girl, 5, one of two killed in NAIA car accident
At least two passengers died, one of them a 5-year-old girl, and four others were wounded after a sport utility vehicle (SUV) rammed into the entrance of the departure area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 1 on Sunday.
The driver of the SUV, identified by police as a certain Leo Gonzales, is under police custody.
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) ordered a preventive suspension on his driver’s license for 90 days, the agency’s chief, Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II, said.
“We already issued a show-cause order asking both the registered owner and the driver to appear before our office and explain the incident as part of our investigation,” he said.
Driver’s claim
Based on the report obtained by the LTO, the black Ford Everest (with license plate No. DCB 3411) crashed into the west departure curbside area of Naia Terminal 1 around 8 a.m. on Sunday.
According to the report, the driver told the police that he was about to leave the departure area after sending off a passenger when a sedan passed in front of him.
“This sent him to panic and instead of the brakes, he stepped on the gas pedal,” the report said.
However, based on CCTV footage of the airport sent to reporters, there was no sedan passing in front of the SUV before the tragedy.
The parked SUV suddenly accelerated forward, crashing through the metal bollards and hitting the people at the entrance of the departure area.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, who rushed to the scene, said the fatalities were a 5-year-old child and a 29-year-old male, while four others were injured and were transported to San Juan de Dios Hospital for treatment.
“This was very tragic. According to the father of the 5-year-old who was killed, his family was supposed to only send him off as he is an OFW (overseas Filipino worker),” Dizon said.
He said the Department of Transportation (DOTr), together with the Manila International Airport Authority and law enforcement agencies, is conducting a full investigation, including reviewing all CCTV footage and subjecting the driver to a “mandatory drug test.”
According to the DOTr chief, based on an initial review of the CCTV footage, “there was no premeditated plan to inflict harm on the Naia passengers but the investigation is still ongoing.”
He said the New Naia Infra Corp., the airport’s private operator, committed to provide all the necessary assistance to the victims and their families, including shouldering the hospital expenses of all the casualties.
Dizon appealed to the public to respect the victims’ families, and avoid sharing photos or videos of the incident on social media.
Amid the surge of road crashes in the country during the Holy Week break last month, Dizon ordered the creation of a special task force, composed of the DOTr, LTO, and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, to conduct a sweeping review of the existing road safety policies and the processes of drivers’ licenses issuance.
“We need to take road safety seriously, especially with large vehicles, like buses and trucks. Those are the ones that can kill other road users,” he said.
